The essence of the Christian message is that GOD raised Jesus from the dead and He is alive today.
Christianity differs from religions from around the world in this one Truth. All the prophets of the various religions are dead and in the grave!
Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 1:
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
The number forty is significant, for it speaks of transformation and completeness through testing. Jesus was tempted 40 days. The deluge during Noah’s day lasted 40 days and nights. Moses met with God for 40 days on Sinai. Israel wandered for 40 years, and Elijah fasted for 40 days. Jesus spent 40 days appearing to His disciples to teach them that a day of completeness and transformation had arrived. It took them 40 days to comprehend that Christ’s Kingdom was spiritual not political.
Jesus spent 40 days changing the mindsets of the disciples who were entrenched in past teachings… after He was raised from the dead, after they had seen all the miracles of His ministry! They had been focused on the expected political changes rather than the spiritual transformation Jesus taught.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 13:
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Paul had firsthand experience with Jesus in His current spiritual state, what an excellent expert witness!
Jesus spoke in John chapter 20:
21 Jesus repeated his greeting, “Peace to you!” And He told them, “Just as the Father has sent Me, I’m now sending you.”
You also means us.
Mark recorded in his Gospel in chapter 16:
19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat down at the Right Hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
We are commissioned to do the same.
Paul preached these simple Truths when he spoke by The Holy Spirit in 1st Corinthians chapter 15:
1 Dear friends, let me give you clearly the heart of the Gospel that I’ve preached to you-the Good News that you have heartily received and on which you stand.
2 For it is through the revelation of the Gospel that you are being saved, if you fasten your life firmly to the message I’ve taught you, unless you have believed in vain.
3 For I have shared with you what I have received and what is of utmost importance: The Messiah died for our sins, fulfilling the prophecies of the Scriptures.
4 He was buried in a tomb and was raised from the dead after three days, as foretold in the Scriptures.
5 Then He appeared to Peter the Rock and to the twelve apostles.
6 He also appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at the same time, most of whom are still alive as I write this, though a few have passed away.
7 Then He appeared to Jacob and to all the apostles.
8 Last of all he appeared in front of me, like one born prematurely, ripped from the womb.
9 Yes, I am the most insignificant of all the apostles, unworthy even to be called an apostle, because I hunted down believers and persecuted God’s church.
10 But God’s amazing grace has made me who I am! And His grace to me was not fruitless. In fact, I worked harder than all the rest, yet not in my own strength but God’s, for his empowering grace is poured out upon me.
11 So this is what we all have taught you, and whether it was through me or someone else, you have now believed the Gospel.
We are to teach reality, not opinions, theories, or religion.